# Prefer Trump or Pence as president? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 20, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653 "2017-01-20T18:22:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/81 "2017-02-16T10:48:44Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > If we are ever in a situation where it is President Pence, it means that Trump has dropped dead, been impeached or pulled a Palin and decided being a president is hard and has quit. > > A President Pence would most likely be a weakened president. He would be tenuously holding office while the country waited for 2020 to clean house. A weakened President Pence is desirable to a crazy President Trump. Depends. If Trump goes away soon enough, there’s still a lot of time between now and the mid-terms. Weak or not, Pence is as core Republican as core Republican can get. The party and him could decide, “popularity be damned, let’s crank through so much legislation that no following administration can ever feasibly get rid of it all.” I mean, if you know that your party is boned in the next election cycle, no matter what you do, why not go gung-ho? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/82 "2017-02-16T11:19:37Z")
I agree that if Trump is to be removed from office, it’s actually in the Republicans interest to do it sooner, rather than later. It gives time for things to settle down before 2020. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/83 "2017-02-16T12:55:18Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > So, you’re still waiting for that “pivot”? Don’t hold your breath… I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/84 "2017-02-16T13:22:11Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. You haven’t been paying attention. I was replying to your: > [@](#): > > It’s a bit early. Let Trump get settled in and used to the restrictions of the position and ask again. Trump followers, from the early days of the campaign, always predicted that he would “pivot” & reveal the Truly Presidential Trump. He would show he was more than a childish huckster! This was expected as the campaign heated up. Or, definitely, after that shocking win–he would show us his true mettle. As his silliness continued unabated, it was anticipated that he would bring a divided country together with a well-written Inauguration speech, then begin to govern well. With his well-chosen staff, of course. He’s remained a fool & his administration has not, to date, been marked with success. Such staff as he’s gathered (let’s not look to all those empty government positions) is made up of extremists & incompetents. There will be no “pivot.” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/85 "2017-02-16T13:38:41Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > There will be no “pivot.” Technically, I think there’s still the chance of the “golf pivot” that some have suggested. I.e., he decides to take up golf and the occasional speech as his Presidential duties and leaves the governance to others. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/86 "2017-02-16T23:15:25Z")
> [@MemoryLeak](#): > > I know! I always wondered why anyone thought Hillary would make a good president. And you crystallized it for me in a 26 word post! Please, talk about how great a president Trump is. I haven’t heard enough bullshit today (and I didn’t even see the presser, thank the gods). I am Elmer J. Trump, billionnaire. I own a mansion and a yacht. I am Elmer J. Trump, billionnaire. I own a mansion and a yacht. With apologies to Looney Tunes. ---
**Author:** ![MemoryLeak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@MemoryLeak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryLeak)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/87 "2017-02-17T04:39:17Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You’re trying to argue that Hilary Clinton had a personality? Kind of like Scientology? Explains Al Gore also. ---
**Author:** ![MemoryLeak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@MemoryLeak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryLeak)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/88 "2017-02-17T04:46:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Please, talk about how great a president Trump is. I haven’t heard enough bullshit today (and I didn’t even see the presser, thank the gods). > > I am Elmer J. Trump, billionnaire. I own a mansion and a yacht. I am Elmer J. Trump, billionnaire. I own a mansion and a yacht. > > With apologies to Looney Tunes. Almost like _I am woman, hear me dissemble_? With apologies to Helen Reddy. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/89 "2017-02-17T05:33:51Z")
> [@MemoryLeak](#): > > Kind of like Scientology? Explains Al Gore also. What? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/90 "2017-02-17T23:40:34Z")
> [@MemoryLeak](#): > > Almost like _I am woman, hear me dissemble_? > > With apologies to Helen Reddy. I need outside opinions on this. Was this supposed to be funny? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/91 "2017-02-20T09:43:51Z")
Last year, I was opining that Trump would be preferable to a right-wing ideologue, because Trump might pursue moderate policies. That prediction worked out real well. :smack: So, we’re stuck with extreme right-wing policies whether Trump resigns or not. At this point, all America can hope for is to minimize damage over the next two or four years and to hope that a lesson will be learned, that the electorate will never embrace the extreme right-wing again. Also last year, I argued against those who hoped for a Trump election because the right-wing movement had to be thoroughly refuted before it would diminish. I’m also having second thoughts about that. The Trump Presidency may lead to the loss of Latvia and Estonia to Russia, the end of any chance for Sunni-Shi’ite reconciliation in the Middle East, another major financial crisis, and (due to the anti-government mood) possibly a million deaths or more in the next viral pandemic, but I don’t think there will be a nuclear war. These outcomes are very bad, but the long-term dangers are even graver. But are these dangers actually greater under Trump than under Pence? All but one GOP Senator voted to confirm Pruitt as head of EPA. The GOP is agreeing with Trump every step of the way. Ryan is on record as saying “Trump should do whatever he wants” regarding issues like financial disclosure. So, I assume that the _policies_ of Trump and Pence Presidencies will be equally bad. I clicked Trump in the poll with the idea that his bombast might be most likely to awaken the electorate to its own stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653/92 "2017-02-20T12:09:50Z")
I want to change my vote. I voted “Trump”, based on the fear that Pence may negate my marriage. I still have that fear, but I’d be willing to risk that, compared with the damage Trump has already done. He’s undercutting the very foundations of our democracy… without which my marriage rights are moot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prefer-trump-or-pence-as-president/777653.md?page=4)